The present invention relates generally to pressure sensors and more specifically to noninvasive pressure sensing.
Various devices have been developed over the years for measuring or sensing the pressure in a volume of fluid. Many of these devices have a load cell containing probe or other sensing apparatus that must physically contact the fluid being measured. While in many mechanical applications (for example, an oil pressure sensor used on an internal combustion engine), physical contact between the probe and the fluid raises no particular concerns, such contact is undesirable in medical applications where the fluid may be a virally or microbially contaminated biological fluid. Under these circumstance, if the probe is allowed to contact the biological fluid, the probe must either be discarded or sterilized prior to reuse. Therefore, in medical applications, it is important that the pressure sensor not contact the fluid being measured.
Several noninvasive pressure sensors have previously been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,718,494, 2,260,837, 2,510,073, 2,583,941 and 3,805,617, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. These devices use a metal disk moving within the electromagnetic field of an energized coil to sense pressure changes. As the iron disk moves closer or farther from the coil, the current flow through the coil varies, and these current fluctuations can be used to calculate pressure changes. While these devices are satisfactory for measuring relatively large pressure changes, more minute pressure changes do not cause the current to fluctuate to a sufficient degree to provide an accurate and reliable indicator of pressure variation.
Other pressure sensors avoid contacting the fluid being tested by using a test chamber separated into two parts by a flexible diaphragm. The fluid volume being measured is contained on one side of the chamber and the pressure sensor is in communication with the second side of the chamber. Any increase or decrease in the fluid pressure causes the diaphragm either to expand into the second side of the chamber or to be pulled into the fluid part of the chamber, thereby increasing or decreasing the pressure in the second side of the chamber an amount corresponding to the change in fluid pressure in the first side of the chamber. While these diaphragm type pressure sensors do not invade the test fluid and can be used to detect relatively small pressure changes, the accuracy of such sensors relies to a great extent on the compliance or elastic properties of the diaphragm, properties that can be hard to control during manufacture and that may change over time as the diaphragm is repeatedly stretched and relaxed.
Another noninvasive pressure sensor described in PCT Publication No. WO 93/24817 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,653) uses a flexible diaphragm with an attached magnet. By attaching an iron disk to the diaphragm, the diaphragm is mechanically coupled to the transducer. In order for the transducer to measure the pressure accurately, the diaphragm is extremely flexible. Nevertheless, variations in the flexibility of the diaphragm affect the accuracy of the pressure measurements. In addition, this assembly relies on firm contact between the magnet and the transducer, variations of which will also affect the accuracy of the pressure measurement. Another noninvasive pressure sensor is disclosed in PCT Publication No. WO 99/23463. This pressure sensor includes a pressure chamber separated from the pressure transducer by a thin, compliant membrane. As with the previously described device, this device relies on the use of a bulky and relatively expensive load cell and stepper motors to position the load cell against the diaphragm
Accordingly, a need continues to exist for an inexpensive, reliable and accurate pressure sensor capable of detecting relatively small pressure changes in a fluid without contacting the fluid.